By Zakary Griego:
College students often find themselves stressed out. Deadlines, good grades, transferring to universities and finding the right career path are all examples of stressors that students face.
“Stress causes our bodies to release hormones that cause the feeling of panic, urgency and anxiety. Being stressed all the time eventually leads to a burnout and adrenal depletion where the individual experiences depression and even physical illnesses that are stress related,” Deborah Harding, a psychology professor, said.
In 2008, a study by The Associated Press found that eight out of 10 college students reported being stressed in their daily lives over the past three months. Since 2008, statistics suggest that mental health issues and stress among students is steadily rising.
“It’s when people cannot relieve the ongoing stressors in their life that they end up not caring about anything and ‘checking out’ of life. Finding ways to cope and relieve stress is important,” said Harding.
To escape and relieve the daily stress, students often turn to forms of entertainment. The most popular form students report using is social media.
Students are often working, going to school and trying to have a social life all at the same time. Social media can help make users feel connected socially to their peers, said Harding.
“Social media is how I stay in the loop with my friends and family,” Emma Womack, a nursing major, said.
Other forms of entertainment that students said they turn to include, movies, reading and social gatherings.
“Students often believe that coping with stress is the same as relieving the feelings of stress, so most ways that people come up with coping with stress are bad examples,” Beth Rodriguez, a psychology professor, said.
Some good examples of ways to cope with stress are exercise, hanging out with friends, meditation, yoga and listening to music, Rodriguez said.
For help dealing with stress, visit https://www.actx.edu/counseling/pagesmith/8 https://www.actx.edu/counseling.
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